Director of Dietary

DeKalb Health; Safford (AZ); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

DeKalb Health seeks a Dietary Director to lead the hospital's Dietary Department, overseeing patient meals, staff, budgets, and compliance to deliver safe, nutritious, and cost-effective meals.

This exempt leadership role partners with dietitians, nursing, physicians, and hospital leadership to support positive patient outcomes and exceptional dining experiences in a fast-paced healthcare setting.

Qualifications

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, Food Service Management, Nutrition, or related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive food service management experience, with at least two years in a healthcare setting.
• Experience managing budgets, staffing, and regulatory compliance programs.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Direct and supervise all food service operations, including patient dining, cafeteria services, catering, and special events.
• Recruit, train, coach, and evaluate dietary and culinary staff.
• Develop staffing schedules and ensure appropriate departmental coverage.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, safety, and customer service excellence.
• Lead department meetings and ongoing staff development initiatives.
• Monitor patient satisfaction scores and implement service improvements.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, local, and accreditation standards (CMS, Joint Commission, OSHA).
• Develop and manage departmental budgets and control costs.

Skills

Leadership

Budgeting

Communication

Multitasking

Financial analysis

POS software

Education

Culinary Arts or Nutrition degree

Tools

POS Systems

FMS Software

Job description

• Location 1600 S 20TH AVE,Safford, AZ, 85546,United States
• Job Category Non-Clinical, Management
• Employee Type Exempt

Position Summary

The Dietary Director is responsible for the overall leadership, management, and operation of the hospital's Dietary Department. This role combines culinary expertise, clinical nutrition support, regulatory compliance, budget management, patient satisfaction, and team leadership to ensure the delivery of safe, nutritious, appealing, and cost-effective meals for patients, staff, and visitors. The Dietary Director collaborates closely with registered dietitians, nursing staff, physicians, and hospital leadership to support positive patient outcomes and exceptional food service experiences.

Required Qualifications

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, Food Service Management, Nutrition, or related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive food service management experience, with at least two years in a healthcare setting.
• Alternate education and experience may be considered.
• Experience managing budgets, staffing, and regulatory compliance programs.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong financial and analytical capabilities.
• Proficiency with food service management software and POS systems
• Commitment to patient-centered care and customer service excellence.
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
• Ability to lift up to 35 pounds occasionally.
• Ability to work in kitchen, office, and patient care environments.
• Ability to safely operate food service equipment

Preferred Qualifications

• Formal culinary training from an accredited culinary institution required or strongly preferred.
• Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) or Certified Executive Chef (CEC)
• Ability to understand and respond to the unique needs of in a healthcare environment.
• Knowledge of electronic health record dietary systems.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced healthcare environment.
• Strong financial and analytical capabilities.
• Proficiency with food service management software and electronic health record dietary systems.
• Commitment to patient-centered care and customer service excellence.

Principle Clinical/Technical Duties

• Category: Leadership and Department Management
  • Direct and supervise all food service operations, including patient dining, cafeteria services, catering, and special events.
  • Recruit, train, coach, and evaluate dietary and culinary staff.
  • Develop staffing schedules and ensure appropriate departmental coverage.
  • Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, safety, and customer service excellence.
  • Lead department meetings and ongoing staff development initiatives.
• Category: Culinary Operations
  • Utilize professional culinary training to enhance menu quality, presentation, flavor, and patient satisfaction.
  • Develop and implement innovative menus that meet therapeutic diet requirements and patient preferences.
  • Oversee food production, portion control, recipe standardization, and quality assurance.
  • Monitor food preparation techniques to ensure consistency and excellence.
  • Introduce healthy culinary trends while maintaining compliance with clinical nutrition standards.
• Category: Clinical Nutrition Support
  • Collaborate with Registered Dietitians to ensure therapeutic diets are accurately implemented.
  • Support nutrition care objectives through appropriate menu planning and food preparation techniques.
  • Ensure compliance with physician orders and dietary modifications.
  • Participate in interdisciplinary patient care initiatives as needed.
• Category: Regulatory Compliance and Food Safety
  • Ensure compliance with all federal, state, local, and accreditation standards, including CMS, Joint Commission, OSHA, and health department regulations.
  • Maintain food safety programs based on HACCP principles.
  • Conduct regular sanitation inspections and corrective action planning.
  • Ensure proper documentation of food temperatures, sanitation practices, and quality control measures.
• Develop and manage departmental budgets.
• Control food, labor, and operating costs while maintaining quality standards.
• Analyze financial reports and key performance metrics.
• Negotiate with vendors and oversee purchasing activities.
• Manage inventory and reduce waste through effective forecasting and inventory control practices.
• Develop, implement, and manage the department's annual operating and capital budgets in alignment with hospital strategic and financial objectives.
• Prepare detailed budget forecasts for food, labor, supplies, equipment, and other departmental expenses.
• Monitor monthly financial performance and analyze budget variances, identifying trends and implementing corrective actions when necessary.
• Present financial reports, forecasts, and budget recommendations to senior administration.
• Identify opportunities to increase revenue through cafeteria operations, catering, vending programs, and special events.
• Analyze service utilization trends and recommend programs that improve financial performance while supporting patient and customer satisfaction.
• Identify and prioritize long-term (3-5 year) capital equipment needs and facility improvement projects.
• Develop business cases and return-on-investment analyses for major equipment purchases and renovations.
• Category: Patient and Customer Satisfaction
  • Monitor patient satisfaction scores and implement service improvements.
  • Address patient complaints and service recovery opportunities promptly.
  • Ensure exceptional customer service for patients, visitors, and hospital staff.
  • Develop programs that enhance the overall dining experience.
• Category: Quality Improvement
  • Establish departmental goals, quality indicators, and performance benchmarks and provide monthly reports as required.
  • Participate in hospital quality improvement and patient experience initiatives.
  • Utilize data and feedback to drive continuous operational enhancements.